The event will start at 10 a.m. in the first floor lobby area of University Tower with light refreshments, followed by welcoming remarks at 10:30 a.m. Zeb Davenport, IUPUI’s vice chancellor for student life, will serve as the emcee, with Chancellor Charles R. Bantz and Dawn Rhodes, the vice chancellor for finance and administration, offering their thoughts on the impact University Tower will have on campus life. Time also is available for a student speaker and a question-and-answer session for any media that attend.

The launch of University Tower will cap a whirlwind conversion of the former hotel and conference center. In less than one year, the campus was able to turn the facility into the answer for several much-needed assets, including 560 beds for freshmen in the heart of campus; a state-of-the-art dining hall with meal plans for both residents and nonresidents; and nearly 400 parking spots beneath the facility to augment IUPUI’s other lots and garages.

A new room in University Tower, ready for students to move in.

The opening of the new residential area is expected to boost campus life, thanks to the proximity of University Tower to the Campus Center, IUPUI’s athletics facilities, University Library and a host of other amenities. Leaders from the Division of Student Life anticipate greater traffic for art galleries in the Campus Center and in Herron’s Eskenazi Hall, for the Barnes & Noble @ IUPUI bookstore, for the Café in the Campus Center, and for food service areas in the Campus Center (including Citizens Commons) and University Tower.

Offering exciting food service options was one of the major goals identified by IUPUI students, faculty, staff and administrators during the developmental phase of University Tower. Six distinct dining options are offered in one space, including healthy fresh options, prepared dishes and made-to-order selections by the Tower Dining culinary staff.

The renovated Chancellor's Restaurant, open to the public, offers a full-service menu.

Chartwells, IUPUI’s exclusive food service provider, developed the dining concept, called “Pulse on Dining.” IUPUI is one of 100 campuses nationwide to offer this contemporary concept. It will be open to University Tower residents and other students, but also faculty, staff and the general public.

University Tower also features the updated Chancellor’s Restaurant, in the same space that the previous version shared with Our Den. It offers both light lunches and full meals.

The tower also will offer computer lab space, laundry service and workout facilities for residents. Those amenities were identified as vital to the facility’s plans, since local and national research indicates that on-campus housing has a direct impact on student success.

Also this month, IUPUI will celebrate the emergence of Hine Hall as a vital addition to the campus’s academic community, with 15 new classrooms. That opening event is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 8, in the eastern wing of the complex.